The present invention relates generally to printing presses and more specifically to the setting of a position of a motor in a printing press.
In a web printing press, the proper longitudinal positioning of the printed image on one web with respect to certain other printing press components, for example to a web cutting device, is required. To alter the longitudinal positioning of the printed image, the phase of a drive motor or motors for the printing units of one of the web may be altered so that the angle of the image on a cylinder with respect to the web is altered. An operator may run the printing press and through manual observation of the printed products alter the phase of the motors to obtain proper longitudinal positioning of each web. Alternately, marks on each web may be read by a sensor. A feedback loop may then be used to position the marks, and thus the webs, to a setpoint longitudinal position. A press operator may need to perform the manual observation or feedback correction each time the press is run.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,748 describes the setting the phase of a motor control in a web printing press using data sent directly by a computing and memory unit. This system requires a stable interface between the computing and memory unit and each motor control, and requires that the memory of the computing and memory unit remain persistent and accessible.
European Patent Application 1 167 035 discloses a synchronous control system having automatic cutting and printing registering functions based on the detection of predetermined marks for different colors in a rotary press using a paper web.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,289,770, 5,425,092 and 5,546,859 relate to a device for presetting a cut-off register in a folder of a web-fed printing press using a marking deice for applying a mark in an image free region between two printed images of a web.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,824 describes a job strip encoding printing process data on an indicia-free zone of an associated printing plate. The printing process data includes presetting or preadjustment values for ink adjustment devices, sheet feed information, format adjustment of the sheet feed, adjustment of side lays, front lays, bands or tapes and other characteristics associated with a sheet-fed printing press.
European Patent No. 1 002 646 discloses printing plate mounting position instruction system. Information marked on the printing plate in the form of, for example, a bar code is read in order or to determine in which position to mount a printing plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,500 discloses printing plates having an identification mark which indicates for which color the printing plate is and in which printing press the printing plate is to be used.